Page 62 of Maid for the Marquess

I laughed. “I would be happy without another pencil or paint for the rest of my life as long as I had you and our babe.”

“Our babe,” he repeated softly, wonder in his voice.

He dipped his head, his lips unerringly finding mine, and I kissed the man I loved.

For the first time in my life, I had everything I had ever wanted.

CHAPTER 17

ALEXANDER

TWO MONTHS LATER

Iwoke in the early morning, blinking my eyes open to the dawn breaking through the large windows.

Maddie had begged me to allow her to move the bed to the wall that faced the arched panes and remove the heavy draperies that covered the glass. Although I felt it unneeded, I was unable to refuse, and now, I had to admit she was correct. The view when we woke in the mornings was spectacular. She loved to lie in our bed and see the stars and the sun. Having spent so many years in a windowless room under the neglect of her father, I understood her longing. The joy on her face as she stared outside brought a boon to my chest I could not explain but no longer denied.

Her happiness was now my happiness.

I turned my head slightly, smiling at the sight of my little wife asleep beside me. Neither of us could fathom not being in the same bed every night. She was a small bundle of warmth curled next to me, her hand resting on my heart, the heat of our bodies melding and comforting us. The lace strap of her shift hung from her shoulder, the pearl of her creamy skin glimmering in the growing light. She was peaceful and content in her repose, a slight smile on her face as she slumbered. The feel of her beside me brought me great peace. A sense of belonging.

Another benefit of our sharing a bed was that her bad dreams no longer plagued her. She told me she felt safe for the first time in many years with me next to her, and I was determined she never feel unsafe again.

Reaching over, I stroked her cheek, smiling as she leaned into my caress even in her sleep. I drifted my hand down to her stomach, feeling the slight swell of her belly under my fingers. Knowing our child, my child, was growing inside her gave me a thrill I could not describe. I cared not if it was a boy or a girl, only that it was ours. A symbol of the love we shared. I had never thought of children that way before. They were simply something I knew I had to do in order for my line to continue. But with Maddie, the meaning of them, of family, had become so much more.

I was grateful the morning illness that had plagued her seemed to have passed. She was tired, requiring naps at odd times of the day. I often found her asleep over a book, even over her partially eaten luncheon. Once while tending her garden, I discovered her asleep on the bench, her small bucket of flowers still clutched in her hand. She hadn’t stirred as I carried her upstairs, settling her on the counterpane of our bed and watching her, feeling the love she stirred within me grow. Every time I thought my heart could not possibly contain more love for her, it developed and expanded with more affection.

A small hand settled over mine, and I looked up, meeting her loving gaze. I was thrilled to see nothing but happiness and peace in her eyes as she smiled at me. None of the worry or trepidation lingered.

“Good morning, husband,” she whispered. “How fare you?”

I smiled, widening my fingers over her belly. “I am filled with joy, my love,” I replied. “How could I not be? Waking beside the most beautiful woman in the world, knowing she is carrying my babe? Recalling how they were created?”

Color flooded her cheeks, a soft rose blooming in the sun. “Sir, you are impertinent,” she scolded mildly.

I stroked my hand up her body, stopping to run my thumb around the stiffened nipple under the thin cotton of her shift, then cupped her face, bringing her mouth to mine. Her lips were pillows of softness, her mouth a feast for my senses. I kissed her until she was breathless, her hand gripping my hair as she made low, pleading sounds in her throat. I dropped my face to her neck, swirling my tongue over the flesh. “Would you have me any other way, wife?”

“No,” she gasped as I lowered my head to her breasts, sucking a nipple through the cotton and pleasuring the other with my fingers. I loved that her pregnancy made her even more responsive, more vocal, and definitely needier than ever. She had no qualms seeking me out in the day in my study, the garden, or even the stable. The smile on her face told me everything I needed to know before I let her use me in any fashion she wished.

I enjoyed them all.

“Are you needing me again this morning, my sweet?” I whispered as I pulled down her shift, returning to her hard nipple and licking.

“Please, Alexander,” she moaned, arching her back.

“Tell me,” I demanded. I loved to hear her say it. To tell me what she wanted.

“Please fill me. Take me.” She paused. “I want to feel you inside me. Feel your cock.”

I rose over her, staring down at her flushed cheeks. Without a word, I grasped her shift, tearing it in half, exposing her to me. Her large breasts were high, the nipples tight and begging for my mouth. Her eyes were wide with desire. Need. Her breathing was rapid, and she clutched at the sheet, her hands fisting the material tightly.

My cock was rigid. Hard and aching for her. Desperate to be inside her. But first, I needed her taste in my mouth. I shifted, lifting her legs to my shoulders. She cried out as I licked into her heat. Latched on to her pearl and sucked it as I slid two fingers inside her. She was wet and ready, her desire evident. But I wanted to prolong the pleasure for her. To worship her a little more.

I worked my fingers in and out of her cunny’s tight grip, curling them as I probed deep. Her soft sound of need spurred me on. The sweet taste of her was on my tongue, her bud swollen and demanding as I suckled harder. Her fingers sifted through my hair, grasping handfuls and holding me where she wanted me. She came with a cry, her body trembling beneath me from the force of her spend.

Withdrawing from her, I rose on my knees between her parted thighs. The glistening pink of her cunny beckoned. My cock was desperate to be inside her. I kissed my way over the gentle swell of her belly to her breasts, taking a nipple in my mouth.

She moaned again as I notched myself against her entrance, the sweet heat of her as my guide. I sank my cock into her, gliding easily through her velvet grip. She was soaked. Another pump of my hips, and I was fully seated. Her silken cunny wrapped around me, warm and perfect.